Attachment members for a slingbar component of a lift system

ABSTRACT

A slingbar includes a sling attachment member. The sling attachment member includes a frame including a base having a top end and a bottom end, and a hook extending from the bottom end to a hook terminus. The hook terminus and the top end of the base define an opening. The hook, base, and opening bound an interior of the attachment member. A closure element includes an outboard gate hinged to the hook terminus and an inboard gate hinged to the base. The gates have a default state in which each gate extends laterally only part way across the opening.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/939,220 filed Nov. 22, 2019 and entitled“Attachment Members for a Slingbar Component of a Lift System,” theentirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

The subject matter described herein relates to lift systems fortransporting and assisting persons with compromised mobility, and inparticular to attachment members and associated closure elements for aslingbar component of the lift system.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Caregivers in hospitals and other health care facilities may employ alift system to transport patients suffering from limited mobility, or toassist those patients in their efforts to move about on their own. Arepresentative lift system includes a hoist. One type of hoist is afreestanding, moveable frame unit that is supported on the floor bywheels or casters. Another type of hoist includes a carriage supportedfrom the ceiling of the facility by a ceiling mounted rail system.

A representative lift system also includes a slingbar having a slingbarhub and a pair of arms that extend in laterally opposite directions fromthe slingbar hub. A hook-like element resides at the end of each arm.When the lift system is used to lift a patient, the slingbar is attachedto the hoist.

A typical lift system also includes a sling made of cloth or othermaterial suitable for cradling the patient. The sling has two or morestraps or loops.

In practice, a caregiver or other user positions a patient on the sling,often by sliding the sling under the patient while the patient's weightis supported on a bed or chair. The user engages the sling straps withthe hook-like elements of the slingbar and operates the hoist to liftand transport the patient to a destination (or to assist the patient inmoving on his own). After the patient's weight has been transferred fromthe sling to some other support (e.g. another bed or chair) at thedestination, the user can disengage the straps from the hook-likeelements of the slingbar.

In order to ensure that the sling straps remain engaged with thehook-like elements of the slingbar, it is prudent to outfit eachhook-like element with a closure element. The closure element ensuresthat the sling strap remains engaged with the hook-like element duringpatient lifting and transport. Preferably, the closure element allowsthe user to easily carry out the engagement and disengagement of a slingstrap with the hook-like element. In particular, a closure element thatcan be operated by the caregiver with only one hand would be beneficialbecause it would enable the caregiver to use the other hand to stabilizethe slingbar and/or steady the patient. Preferably, the closure elementalso will not permit the strap to be released from the hook-like elementwithout some overt action on the part of the user or unless thepatient's weight is no longer carried by the slingbar.

Accordingly, a need exists for alternative attachment members forslingbars of a lift system.

SUMMARY

A first aspect A1 includes a slingbar having a sling attachment member,the sling attachment member comprising: a frame comprising a base havinga top end and a bottom end, and a hook extending from the bottom end toa hook terminus, the hook terminus and the top end of the base definingan opening, and the hook, the base, and the opening bounding an interiorof the sling attachment member; and a closure element comprising anoutboard gate hinged to the hook terminus and an inboard gate hinged tothe base, the outboard gate and the inboard gate each having a defaultstate in which each gate extends laterally only part way across theopening.

A second aspect A2 includes the slingbar of A1 wherein one of theinboard gate and the outboard gate is an inwardly rotatable gate and theother of the inboard gate and the outboard gate is an outwardlyrotatable gate.

A third aspect A3 includes the slingbar of any of A1-A2 comprising anoutboard spring which biases the outboard gate toward the default stateand an inboard spring which biases the inboard gate toward the defaultstate.

A fourth aspect A4 includes the slingbar of any of A1-A3 comprising anoutboard spring which resists but does not prevent rotatability of theoutboard gate in a first rotational sense, and an inboard spring whichresists but does not prevent rotatability of the inboard gate in asecond rotational sense which is opposite the first rotational sense.

A fifth aspect A5 includes the slingbar of any of A1-A4 wherein theinboard gate and the outboard gate contact each other in the defaultstate.

A sixth aspect A6 includes the slingbar of any of A1-A5 wherein theinboard gate and the outboard gate each comprise a free end that iscomplementary to the free end of the other of the inboard gate and theoutboard gate.

A seventh aspect A7 includes the slingbar of any of A1-A6 wherein thefree end of the outboard gate and the free end of the inboard gate arechamfered.

An eighth aspect A8 includes the slingbar of any of A1-A7 wherein: eachof the inboard gate and the outboard gate has an open state and a closedstate; and only one of the inboard gate or the outboard gate is requiredto be in the open state to accommodate passage of an object through theopening.

A ninth aspect A9 includes a slingbar comprising a sling attachmentmember, the sling attachment member comprising: a frame comprising abase with a top end and a bottom end, an elbow laterally spaced from thebase and having a bottom end and a terminus, and a bottom segmentjoining the bottom end of the base to the bottom end of the elbow,wherein the top end of the base and the terminus define a laterallyextending opening; and a closure element comprising an actuator wing anda closure wing, the closure element hinged to the top end of the base ata juncture of the actuator wing and the closure wing, the closureelement positionable in: A) an open orientation in which at least partof the actuator wing spans across the laterally extending opening; andB) a closed orientation in which at least part of the closure wing spansacross the laterally extending opening.

A tenth aspect A10 includes the slingbar of A9 comprising a spring whichbiases the closure element to the open orientation, wherein the closureelement is movable to the closed orientation by a force acting on theactuator wing thereof.

An eleventh aspect A11 includes the slingbar of A9 or A10 wherein theactuator wing comprises an actuator wing terminus, the closure wing hasa closure wing terminus, and the actuator wing terminus and the closurewing terminus are spaced from each other thereby defining an aperture.

A twelfth aspect A12 includes the slingbar of any of A9-A11 wherein thesling attachment member comprises: an open state corresponding to theopen orientation of the closure element; and a closed statecorresponding to the closed orientation of the closure element.

A thirteenth aspect A13 includes the slingbar of any of A9-A12 wherein,when the sling attachment member is in the open state, the aperture isexposed to surroundings of an interior of the sling attachment member.

A fourteenth aspect A14 includes the slingbar of any of A9-A13 wherein:when the closure element is in the open orientation the closure wing isrotationally misaligned with the opening of the frame and the actuatorwing is rotationally misaligned with the bottom segment and the elbow ofthe frame; and when the closure element is in the closed orientation theclosure wing is rotationally aligned with the opening of the frame andthe actuator wing is rotationally aligned with the bottom segment andthe elbow of the frame.

A fifteenth aspect A15 includes the slingbar of any of A9-A14 whereinwhen the closure element is in the closed orientation the actuator wingnests in a slot formed from the base, the bottom segment and the elbow.

A sixteenth aspect A16 includes a sling attachment member, the slingattachment member comprising: a fixed orientation lower jaw comprisingan upper surface comprising an upper inboard segment, an upper outboardsegment, and an upper intermediate segment laterally between the upperinboard segment and the upper outboard segment; a variable orientationupper jaw comprising a lower surface comprising a lower inboard segment,a lower outboard segment, and a lower intermediate segment laterallybetween the lower inboard segment and the lower outboard segment; theupper inboard segment comprising a descending contour with increasingoutboard displacement, and the lower inboard segment comprising anascending contour with increasing outboard displacement, wherein thedescending contour and the ascending contour are adapted so that anobject urged laterally outwardly can separate the upper intermediatesegment and the lower intermediate segment from each other and passoutwardly between the upper intermediate segment and the lowerintermediate segment.

A seventeenth aspect A17 includes the sling attachment member of A16wherein the upper outboard segment comprises an ascending contour withincreasing outboard displacement and the lower outboard segmentcomprises a descending contour with increasing outboard displacement.

An eighteenth aspect A18 includes the sling attachment member of any ofA16-A17 wherein the descending contour of the upper inboard segmentcomprises an inflection point outboard of which the descending contourbecomes progressively more shallow with increasing outboarddisplacement, and the ascending contour of the lower inboard segmentcomprises an inflection point outboard of which the ascending contourbecomes progressively more shallow with increasing outboarddisplacement.

A nineteenth aspect A19 includes the sling attachment member of any ofA16-A18 wherein the lower inboard segment includes a pocket at itsinboard extremity, the pocket defined by a subsegment of the lowerinboard segment which comprises a descending contour with increasingoutboard displacement.

A twentieth aspect A20 includes the sling attachment member of any ofA16-A19 wherein the lower inboard segment comprises a lateral extent andthe subsegment comprises a subsegment lateral extent which is no morethan about 25% of the lateral extent of the lower inboard segment.

A twenty-first aspect A21 includes the sling attachment member of any ofA16-A20 wherein the sling attachment member comprises a closed statewherein the upper intermediate segment and the lower intermediatesegment are vertically separated from each other by a minimumseparation.

A twenty-second aspect A22 includes the sling attachment member of anyof A16-A21 wherein the minimum separation is zero separation.

A twenty-third aspect A23 includes the sling attachment member of any ofA16-A22 wherein the sling attachment member comprises a closed statewherein the upper intermediate segment and the lower intermediatesegment are in line contact with each other.

A twenty-fourth aspect A24 includes the sling attachment member of anyof A16-A23 comprising a biasing element to bias the variable orientationupper jaw to its closed state.

A twenty-fifth aspect A25 includes the sling attachment member of any ofA16-A24 wherein the lower inboard segment and the upper inboard segmenteach comprise a laterally varying steepness, and the laterally varyingsteepness of the lower inboard segment everywhere along at least aportion of its lateral range is greater than the laterally varyingsteepness of the upper inboard segment anywhere along its lateral range.

A twenty-sixth aspect A26 includes the sling attachment member of any ofA16-A25 wherein the descending contour of the upper inboard segmentcomprise an upper segment vertical range, the ascending contour of thelower inboard segment comprise a lower segment vertical range, and thelower segment vertical range exceeds the upper segment vertical range.

A twenty-seventh aspect A27 includes a slingbar comprising: a slingattachment member comprising: a frame, a portion of which defines anopening, the frame and opening defining an interior of the slingattachment member; and a closure element; and an actuating mechanismcomprising: a cam; and a linkage arranged to be driven by the cam and tooperate the closure element in response to motion of the cam therebycausing the closure element to block or expose the opening.

A twenty-eighth aspect A28 includes the slingbar of A27 wherein thelinkage comprises a bellcrank comprising a follower arm driven by thecam and an output arm connected to the closure element.

A twenty ninth aspect A29 includes the slingbar of any of A27-A28comprising a connector link that connects the output arm to the closureelement.

A thirtieth aspect A30 includes the slingbar of any of A27-A29comprising a cam driver adapted to move the cam.

A thirty-first aspect A31 includes the slingbar of any of A27-A30wherein the cam driver comprises: an open position corresponding to theclosure element exposing the opening; and a closed positioncorresponding to the closure element blocking the opening, wherein thecam driver is movable between the open position and the closed positionin response to weight applied to the slingbar.

A thirty-second aspect A32 includes the slingbar of any of A27-A31wherein the cam driver is biased to the open position and is movabletoward the closed position in response to an increase in the weightapplied to the slingbar.

A thirty-third aspect A33 includes the slingbar of any of A27-A32wherein the cam driver comprises an attachment lug for attaching theslingbar to a host.

Additional features and advantages of the embodiments described hereinwill be set forth in the detailed description that follows, and in partwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from thatdescription or recognized by practicing the embodiments describedherein, including the detailed description, which follows, the claims,as well as the appended drawings.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description describe various embodiments and areintended to provide an overview or framework for understanding thenature and character of the claimed subject matter. The accompanyingdrawings are included to provide a further understanding of the variousembodiments, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of thisspecification. The drawings illustrate the various embodiments describedherein, and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples and operations of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a lift system whose hoist isceiling mounted;

FIG. 2 is a view of a representative slingbar for a lift system, theslingbar including a pair of laterally oppositely extending arms and anattachment member at the end of each arm;

FIG. 3 is a view of a lift system whose hoist is freestanding;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of an attachment member of a slingbar havinga “Double Gate” closure element;

FIG. 5 is a first view of a sequence of views showing installation of asling strap into an interior of an attachment member of a slingbar, theattachment member including the Double Gate of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 6 is a second view of a sequence of views showing installation of asling strap into an interior of an attachment member of a slingbar, theattachment member including the Double Gate of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 7 is a third view of a sequence of views showing installation of asling strap into an interior of an attachment member of a slingbar, theattachment member including the Double Gate of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 8 is a first view are a sequence of views showing removal of asling strap from the interior of the attachment member of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 9 is a second view are a sequence of views showing removal of asling strap from the interior of the attachment member of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 10 is a third view of a sequence of views showing removal of asling strap from the interior of the attachment member of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 11 is an elevation view of an attachment member of a slingbarhaving a “Swivel Style” closure element showing the closure element inan open orientation;

FIG. 12 is an elevation view of an attachment member of a slingbarhaving a “Swivel Style” closure element showing the closure element in aclosed orientation;

FIG. 13 is a view in the direction 13-13 of FIG. 17 ;

FIG. 14 is a first view showing installation and removal of a slingstrap in the attachment member of FIGS. 11-12 ;

FIG. 15 is a first view showing installation and removal of a slingstrap in the attachment member of FIGS. 11-12 ;

FIG. 16 is an elevation view of an attachment member of a slingbarhaving a “Funnel Style” closure element;

FIG. 17 is a graph showing the meaning of steepness, shallowness andsimilar terms as used herein in connection with the Funnel Style closureelement;

FIG. 18 is a cross sectional elevation view of an “Automatic WeightActuated” closure element showing the attachment member in its openstate;

FIG. 19 is an elevation view of an “Automatic Weight Actuated” closureelement showing the attachment member in its closed state;

FIG. 20 is a plan view in direction 20-20 of FIG. 19 ; and

FIG. 21 is a view taken in approximately direction A of FIG. 20 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments ofattachment members for slingbars for use with lift systems, examples ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value,and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range isexpressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular valueand/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values areexpressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it willbe understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. Itwill be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges aresignificant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently ofthe other endpoint.

Directional terms as used herein—for example up, down, right, left,front, back, top, bottom—are made only with reference to the figures asdrawn and are not intended to imply absolute orientation.

Unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that anymethod set forth herein be construed as requiring that its steps beperformed in a specific order, nor that with any apparatus specificorientations be required. Accordingly, where a method claim does notactually recite an order to be followed by its steps, or that anyapparatus claim does not actually recite an order or orientation toindividual components, or it is not otherwise specifically stated in theclaims or description that the steps are to be limited to a specificorder, or that a specific order or orientation to components of anapparatus is not recited, it is in no way intended that an order ororientation be inferred, in any respect. This holds for any possiblenon-express basis for interpretation, including: matters of logic withrespect to arrangement of steps, operational flow, order of components,or orientation of components; plain meaning derived from grammaticalorganization or punctuation, and; the number or type of embodimentsdescribed in the specification.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include pluralreferents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, forexample, reference to “a” component includes aspects having two or moresuch components, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Embodiments of the present specification may comprise one or more of thefeatures recited in the appended claims and/or one or more of thefollowing features or combinations thereof.

In this specification and drawings, features similar to or the same asfeatures already described may be identified by reference characters ornumerals which are the same as or similar to those previously used.Similar elements may be identified by a common reference character ornumeral, with suffixes being used to refer to specific occurrences ofthe element.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2 , a lift system includes a sling 20 made of clothor other material suitable for cradling a patient P. A typical slingincludes two or more straps or loops 22. The lift system also includes aslingbar 24 having a slingbar hub 32, a pair of sling bar arms 26 thatextend in laterally opposite directions from the slingbar hub 32, and acoupler 28. A hook-like element 30 resides at the end of each slingbararm 26.

The lift system also includes a hoist. The hoist of FIG. 1 includes acarriage 40 supported from the ceiling C of the facility by a ceilingmounted rail system 42. An extendable and retractable tether 44 extendsdownwardly from the carriage and connects to coupler 28. The carriagehouses a motor driven reel (not shown) to extend or retract the tether44. Slingbar 24 is attached to the lower end of the tether by coupler28. When a patient P is secured in the sling and lifted as depicted inFIG. 1 , a caregiver can pull on the sling to move the carriage alongthe rail to a destination anywhere underneath the rail.

Referring additionally to FIG. 3 , another type of hoist is afreestanding, moveable frame unit 50, which is supported on the floor bywheels or casters. In one variant of the frame unit 50, the slingbar 24is attached indirectly to the frame unit by a tether 44. The caregiveroperates a hoist motor, not shown, to retract the tether. The caregiverthen rolls the freestanding frame unit to a destination and thenoperates the motor to lower the patient. In another variant of thefreestanding frame unit, the frame unit includes articulating patientsupport elements and a hydraulic or pneumatic system to drive thearticulating elements. The slingbar is attached directly to the frameunit without a tether. The caregiver employs the hydraulic or pneumaticsystem to raise and lower the patient.

The balance of this specification describes embodiments of attachmentmembers of a slingbar. The described attachment members each include aclosure element, which guards against release of a sling strap from theattachment member. The described attachment members also enable a userto maneuver a sling strap into or out of an interior region of theattachment member using only one hand, freeing the user's other hand tosteady the patient or stabilize the slingbar. The various attachmentmembers are referred to as “Double Gate”, “Swivel Style” “Funnel Style”and “Automatic Weight Actuated” and are each described in a like-namedsection below. In each case, the slingbar has two identical attachmentmembers, one at each lateral end of the slingbar. Therefore, thefollowing description describes only one of the two attachment members.

Double Gate

FIG. 4 shows a slingbar 24 that includes a pair of slingbar arms 26(only a portion of one is illustrated) extending from a slingbar hub 32,and an attachment member 60 at the outboard end of each arm, asdescribed herein. FIG. 4 also includes axes to indicate the lateral,vertical, and transverse directions. The lateral direction is thedirection in which slingbar arms 26 extend from the slingbar hub 32. Thevertical direction is the conventional up/down direction. The transversedirection is the direction perpendicular to the vertical/lateral plane.FIG. 4 also shows a pair of arrows labeled to illustrate that the terms“inboard and outboard” signify relative lateral locations such that alocation laterally closer to slingbar vertical centerline CL_(S) (seenin FIG. 2 ) is more inboard than a location laterally further fromcenterline CL_(S). For example, the point labelled “A” is more outboardthan the point labelled “B”, and the point labelled “B” is more inboardthan the point labelled “A”. Terms such as “up”, “down”, “top” and“bottom” are based on the slingbar being in the orientation seen in FIG.2 , that is with the slingbar arms generally parallel to the ground andwith coupler 28 extending above the arms. The foregoing directionalreferences apply throughout this application unless otherwise stated.

A laterally extending tab 52 connects the attachment member 60 to theslingbar arm 26. However, other arrangements for connecting theattachment member to the slingbar may be satisfactory, or the attachmentmember 60 may be formed integrally with the slingbar arm 26.

Attachment member 60 includes a frame 62 having a base 64 that extendsfrom a top end 66 to a bottom end 68. The attachment member alsoincludes a hook 72 extending from the bottom end 68 of the base 64 to ahook terminus 74. The illustrated hook 72 includes an approximatelylinear bottom segment 76 and a curved segment or elbow 78. The curvatureof the elbow 78 is such that hook terminus 74 faces laterally backtoward base 64 rather than away from the base 64 or in some otherdirection.

An interior region 80 of the attachment member is defined or bounded byhook 72, base 64, and an opening 82, which itself is delimited by thehook terminus 74 and the top end 66 of base 64. In FIG. 4 , opening 82is closed off by a closure element comprised of outboard and inboardgates 90, 100. Each gate extends laterally only part way across opening82. The portion of opening 82 corresponding to outboard gate 90 may bereferred to as outboard opening portion 82 _(O). The portion of opening82 corresponding to inboard gate 100 may be referred to as inboardopening portion 82 _(I). The region outside the interior region 80 maybe referred to as the surroundings 84 of interior region 80.

Laterally outboard gate 90 is hinged to the hook terminus at an outboardhinge 92, and a laterally inboard gate 100 is hinged to the base at aninboard hinge 102. Each gate has a hinged end, 90H, 100H respectively,proximate to its hinge, and a free end 90F, 100F remote from its hinge.An outboard spring 94, illustrated schematically, acts on outboard gate90 and an inboard spring 104 (also illustrated schematically) acts oninboard gate 100. Spring arrangements other than the schematicallyillustrated coil springs may be used instead.

One of the gates is an inwardly rotatable gate. In the illustratedembodiment, the inwardly rotatable gate is outboard gate 90. Referringadditionally to FIG. 6 , “inwardly rotatable” means that the gate can berotated so that its free end 90F projects into interior region 80 of theattachment member but cannot be rotated away from the interior region sothat the free end projects into surroundings 84. The other gate is anoutwardly rotatable gate. In the illustrated embodiment, the outwardlyrotatable gate is inboard gate 100. Referring additionally to FIG. 9 ,outwardly rotatable means that the gate can be rotated away from theinterior region 80 of the attachment member so that its free end 100Fprojects into surroundings 84 but cannot be rotated so that its free endprojects into interior region 80. In evaluating the absence ofprojection of a gate into the interior or the surroundings as justdescribed, minor projections due to imperfections, manufacturingtolerances and component tolerances (e.g. spring constant of springs 94,104) are not meaningful and therefore are disregarded.

The gates have a default state in which they extend toward each otheracross opening 82 and each gate extends laterally only part way acrossopening 82. The default state of the gates is considered to be theclosed state of the attachment member because, as described in moredetail below, a sling strap cannot unconditionally pass through theopening either into or out of interior region 80 when the attachmentmember is in the default state. Outboard spring 94 biases outboard gate90 toward its default state. The outboard spring resists (but does notprevent) the inward rotatability of the outboard gate. Inboard spring104 biases inboard gate 100 toward its default state. The inboard springresists (but does not prevent) the outward rotatability of the inboardgate. In general, one of the springs resists but does not preventrotatability of the outboard gate in a first rotational sense, and theother spring resists but does not prevent rotatability of the inboardgate in a second rotational sense that is opposite to the firstrotational sense.

As seen in FIG. 4 , the gates contact each other in the default statethereby bridging completely across opening 82. The free ends of thegates are complementary. The embodiment of FIG. 4 illustrates geometriccomplementarity in the form of oppositely chamfered free ends. Inanother configuration the gates are foreshortened and do not contacteach other, as suggested by free ends 90F, 100F illustrated with dashedlines. The foreshortened gates do not bridge completely across opening82 and so may not be as desirable as the “complete bridge” configurationdepicted with solid lines even though foreshortened gates, takencollectively, effectively close off opening 82.

Each gate is rotatable to an open state depicted in FIG. 6 for gate 90and in FIG. 9 for gate 100. When either gate is in its open state theattachment member is considered to be in its open state.

Outboard gate 90 is defined as an outboard gate not only because it ismore outboard than gate 100, but also because it bridges only part wayacross opening 82 rather than extending all the way or substantially allthe way to the top end 66 of attachment member base 64. Its length islaterally limited so that when it is opened (rotated inwardly as seen inFIG. 6 ) outboard opening portion 82 _(O) is exposed to accommodateinsertion of the sling strap into interior region 80 of the attachmentmember. Similarly, gate 100 is defined as an inboard gate not onlybecause it is more inboard than gate 90, but also because it bridgesonly part way across opening 82 rather than extending all the way orsubstantially all the way to hook terminus 74. Its length is laterallylimited so that when it is opened (rotated outwardly as seen in FIG. 9 )inboard opening portion 82 _(I) is exposed to accommodate removal of thesling strap from interior region 80 of the attachment member.

Referring to FIGS. 5-7 , in practice a user inserts a sling strap 22into interior region 80 by applying a force to the inwardly rotatablegate (e.g. outboard gate 90) thereby rotating the gate to its open stateand exposing the outboard opening portion 82 _(O) of opening 82. Toachieve one hand operation the user may position the strap against gate90 and pull down on the strap to apply a force to open the gate, leavingthe other hand free to steady the patient or stabilize the slingbar. Theuser guides the strap through outboard opening portion 82 _(O) and intointerior region 80 of the attachment member (FIGS. 5, 6 ). Once thestrap clears the opening and gate, the gate springs back to its closedstate (FIG. 7 ). Alternatively, the user may apply an opening force togate 90 by, for example, pressing on it with a finger of one hand whileusing the other hand to maneuver the strap through outboard openingportion 82 _(O) and into the interior region 80 of the attachmentmember. Once the strap is clear of opening 82 and gate 90, the userreleases the gate allowing spring 94 to rotate the gate back to itsdefault state (FIG. 7 ).

Referring to FIGS. 8-10 , a user removes a sling strap 22 from interiorregion 80 by applying a force to the outwardly rotatable gate (e.g.inboard gate 100) thereby rotating the gate to its open state andexposing the inboard opening portion 82 _(I) of opening 82. To achieveone hand operation the user may position the strap against gate 100 andpull up on the strap to apply a force to open the gate, leaving theother hand free to steady the patient or stabilize the slingbar. Theuser guides the strap through inboard opening portion 82 _(I) and out ofthe interior region 80 of the attachment member (FIGS. 8, 9 ). Once thestrap clears the opening and gate, the gate springs back to its closedstate (FIG. 10 ). Alternatively, the user may apply an opening force togate 100 by, for example, lifting it with a finger of one hand whileusing the other hand to maneuver the strap through inboard openingportion 82 _(I) and out of the interior region 80 of the attachmentmember. Once the strap is clear of opening 82 and gate 100, the userreleases the gate allowing spring 104 to rotate the gate back to itsdefault state (FIG. 10 ).

As seen from the foregoing, the sling strap cannot unconditionally passthrough the opening either into or out of interior region 80. It canpass from the surroundings into the interior only on the condition thatthe outboard gate is open thereby exposing outboard opening portion 82_(O) of opening 82. It can pass from the interior to the surroundingsonly on the condition that the inboard gate is open thereby exposinginboard opening portion 82 _(I) of opening 82. The open and closedstates of the gates are such that only one of the gates is required tobe in its open state to accommodate passage of an object through theopening. The force required to open a gate is applied on the same sideof the hinge that covers a portion of the opening, i.e. inboard of hinge92 and outboard of hinge 102. In other words, the hinge does not serveas a fulcrum for a force applied on the hinge that does not cover partof opening 82.

Swivel Style

Referring to FIGS. 11-12 , an attachment member 150 includes a frame 152having a base 154 that extends vertically from a top end 156 to a bottomend 158, and an elbow 160 laterally spaced from the base 154 and havinga bottom end 162 and a terminus 164. The frame also includes a bottomsegment 170 joining the bottom end 162 of the base to the bottom end ofthe elbow 160. The bottom segment can be thought of as extendinglaterally from a base end 172 to an elbow end 174. Alternatively, thebottom segment and elbow, taken together, may be thought of as a hook,similar to hook 72 of FIG. 4 , which is comprised of bottom segment 76and elbow 78.

The curvature of elbow 160 is such that elbow terminus 164 faceslaterally back toward base 154 rather than in some other direction. Theterminus is laterally outboard of base 154. The top end 156 of the base154 and the elbow terminus define a laterally extending opening 180.Frame 152 (base 154, bottom segment 170, and elbow 160) and opening 180define an interior region 182 of the attachment member. The regionoutside the interior region may be referred to as the surroundings 184of interior region 182. The frame is stationary relative to slingbar arm26.

A laterally extending tab 52 connects the attachment member 150 to theslingbar arm 26. However, other arrangements for connecting theattachment member to the slingbar may be satisfactory or the attachmentmember 150 may be formed integrally with the slingbar arm 26.

The attachment member also includes a closure element 190 comprising anactuator wing 192 and a closure wing 194 that meet at a juncture 196.Actuator wing 192 has an actuator wing terminus 204. Closure wing 194has a closure wing terminus 206. The wing termini are spaced from eachother thereby defining an aperture 208.

Actuator wing 192 has a profile that approximately matches the profileof the frame base 154, bottom segment 170 and elbow 160 takencollectively. That is, the part of the actuator wing 192 from juncture196 to arc 212 is about the same size and shape as frame base 154, andthe rest of the actuator wing 192 is about the same size and shape asthe frame bottom segment 170 and elbow 160 except that the actuator wingis foreshortened in comparison to elbow 160 and does not curve so thatits actuator wing terminus 204 faces back toward juncture 196.

At juncture 196 the closure element is connected by a hinge 216 to thetop of the base so that it can swivel relative to frame 152. As seen inFIG. 11 , the closure element is positionable in an open orientation inwhich at least part of actuator wing 192 (the part extending fromjuncture 196 to arc 212) spans across frame opening 180 and in whichaperture 208 is exposed to surroundings 184. A spring 218, illustratedschematically, rotationally biases the closure element to its openorientation. Thus, the default orientation of the closure element is theopen orientation. The default state of the attachment member correspondsto the default orientation of the closure element, and is referred to asthe default state of the attachment member. As seen in FIG. 17 theclosure element is also positionable in a closed orientation in whichclosure wing 194 spans across or substantially across frame opening 180thereby placing the attachment member in a closed state. In the closedstate aperture 208 is not exposed to surroundings 184. The closureelement is rotatable to its closed orientation by a force acting onactuator wing 192 and directed toward interior region 182

When the attachment member is in its open state, closure elementaperture 208 is vertically spaced from opening 180 so that the apertureresides in and is exposed to surroundings 184. As a result, the closuremember can receive a sling strap by way of aperture 208. When theclosure element is in its open orientation of FIG. 16 closure wing 194is rotationally misaligned with frame opening 180, and actuator wing 192is rotationally misaligned with base 154, bottom segment 170 and elbow160 of frame 152. When the closure element is in its closed orientationof FIG. 12 , closure wing 194 is rotationally aligned with frame opening180, and actuator wing 192 is rotationally aligned with base 154, bottomsegment 170 and elbow 160 of the frame 152.

Referring additionally to FIG. 13 , in one embodiment when the closureelement is in its closed orientation the actuator wing 192 nests in aslot 220 of the base 154, bottom segment 170, and elbow 160.

Referring to FIGS. 14-15 , in practice, a caregiver installs a slingstrap on the attachment member by guiding the strap through aperture 208when the closure element is in its open orientation (corresponding tothe attachment member being in its open state) and draping the strapover actuator wing 192 as seen in FIG. 14 . If the strength of spring218 is relatively weak, the weight of strap 22 acting on actuator wing192 may be sufficient to rotate the closure element to the closedorientation of FIG. 15 , corresponding to the closed state of theattachment member. If the spring is relatively strong, the closureelement may not rotate to and remain in its closed orientation until thelift system is operated and at least some of the patient's weight istransferred to the actuator wing of the closure element by way of strap22. The spring strength is a matter of discretion for the designer.Either way, once the spring force is overcome and the closure elementrotates to its closed orientation, bottom segment 170 of frame 152supports the weight applied to the sling strap and some or all of theweight of the patient. The weight maintains the closure element in itsclosed orientation (and the attachment member in its closed state)without requiring additional locking components.

A caregiver removes the sling strap from the attachment member bylifting the strap off frame bottom segment 170 thereby allowing spring218, if weak, to rotate the closure element back to its openorientation, corresponding the the open state of the attachment member.If the spring is strong, the closure element will rotate to its openorientation, without caregiver intervention, once enough of thepatient's weight is no longer being transferred by the sling strap 22 tobottom segment 170 of the frame.

Funnel Style

Referring to FIG. 16 , attachment member 290 includes a fixedorientation lower jaw 292 having a lower jaw interior surface 294 thatincludes an inboard surface segment 300, an outboard surface segment302, and an intermediate segment 304 laterally between the inboard andoutboard segments. Outboard surface segment 302 extends laterally fromthe intermediate segment to the laterally outermost extremity 310 oflower jaw 292. The lower jaw also includes a vertically extending base312 having a wall 318, a bottom end 314 and a top end 316. The lower jawis stationary relative to slingbar arm 26.

The attachment member also includes a variable orientation upper jaw 320having an upper jaw interior surface 322 that includes an inboardsurface segment 330, an outboard surface segment 332, and anintermediate segment 334 laterally between the inboard and outboardsegments. Outboard surface segment 332 extends laterally from theintermediate segment to the laterally outermost extremity 340 of upperjaw 320. A hinge 344 connects the upper and lower jaws to each other sothat the upper jaw is rotatable, i.e. orientation adjustable relative tothe lower jaw. Inboard surface segments 300, 330, along with base 312,define an interior region 350 of the attachment member. The regionoutside the interior region may be referred to as the environment 352 ofinterior region 350. In the following description surfaces 294, 322 andthe various segments of those surfaces are referred to as lower andupper respectively due to their relative vertical positions as seen inFIG. 16 .

The attachment member has a closed state, which corresponds to a closedstate of upper jaw 320, in which intermediate segments 304, 334 are at aminimum vertical separation from each other. A biasing element such asspring 346 biases the upper jaw in rotational sense R₁ to achieve theclosed state. The closed state is therefore the default state. Theillustrated minimum vertical separation is zero separation. Therefore,segments 304, 334 are in contact with each other. It is believedbeneficial to make the lateral length of the intermediate segments assmall as possible, in which case the contact between intermediatesegments 304 and 334 approximates a transversely extending line contact.Zero minimum separation is believed to be more effective than nonzeroseparation, however separation may be made nonzero if desired. In anyevent, the separation should be smaller than the thickness t of strap22.

A laterally extending tab 52 connects the attachment member 290 to theslingbar arm 26. However, other arrangements for connecting theattachment member to the slingbar may be satisfactory, or the attachmentmember 290 may be formed integrally with the slingbar arm 26.

Referring to the attachment member in its closed state as illustrated inFIG. 16 , upper inboard surface segment 330 has a descending contour(i.e. descends) with increasing outward displacement, and lower inboardsurface segment 300 has an ascending contour (i.e. ascends) withincreasing outward displacement. Whether a surface segment or a portionthereof is “ascending or “descending” or is steep or shallow is based onthe slingbar being in the orientation of FIG. 2 (slingbar arms 26generally parallel to the ground and coupler 28 extending above the armsand with the orientation adjustable upper jaw in its closed state asseen in FIG. 16 ) and evaluated using the vertical axis of FIG. 16 as areference. “Increasing outward displacement” means more outboardrelative to slingbar centerline CL_(S) (FIG. 2 ). For example, point “A”of FIG. 16 is outboard of point “B” and therefore is more outwardlydisplaced. The term “increasing inward displacement” means more inboardrelative to slingbar centerline CL_(S). For example, point “B” is inwardof point “A” and therefore is more inwardly displaced (or less outwardlydisplaced). “Descending”, as a descriptor of the surface contour, meansin the direction of lower elevation whereas “ascending” means in thedirection of a higher elevation.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 16 , upper outboard surface segment 332 hasan ascending contour with increasing outward displacement and loweroutboard surface segment 302 has a descending contour with increasingoutward displacement.

Lower inboard surface segment 300 and upper inboard surface segment 330each have a laterally varying steepness or slope. As used herein,steepness is evaluated independently of whether a surface segment isascending or descending. Referring briefly to FIG. 17 , in some contextsline A would be considered less steep than line B because its slope isnegative (specifically −2) whereas the slope of line B is positive(specifically +0.5), and a negative number is considered to be smallerthan a positive number. We adopt instead an absolute value approach inwhich line A is steeper than line B because |−2|>|0.5|.

The descending contour of the upper inboard segment has an inflectionpoint 366 outboard of which the descending contour becomes progressivelymore shallow with increasing outboard displacement. The ascendingcontour of the lower inboard segment has an inflection point 364outboard of which the ascending contour becomes progressively moreshallow with increasing outboard displacement.

In principle the above described ascending and descending contours couldbe applied only to the inboard surface segments 300, 330 or only to theoutboard surface segments 302, 332, however it is believed best tocontour all four surface segments as in the example of FIG. 16 .

Because of the descending and ascending contours of the inboard surfacesegments 330, 300, those surface segments define a inboard funnel-likeshape 351 which converges as one progresses increasingly in the outwardor outboard direction from base 312 to intermediate segments 304, 334.Because of the descending and ascending contours of the outboard surfacesegments 302, 332, those surface segments define an outboard funnel-likeshape 354 which converges as one progresses increasingly in the inwardor inboard direction from environment 352 toward intermediate segments304, 334.

The contour of lower inboard surface segment 300 could be ascending overthe entire lateral range from base 312 to intermediate segment 304, assuggested by the dashed line near the inward most extremity of surfacesegment 300. However, the lower surface may instead include a pocket 360at its inboard extremity. The pocket is defined by an inboard subsegment362 of lower inboard surface segment 300 that, unlike the rest of thesurface, has a descending contour with increasing outward displacement.Taking the distance from wall 318 to intermediate segments 304, 334 tobe the lateral extent L₁ of lower inboard surface segment 300, andtaking the distance from the base wall to the outboard end of inboardsubsegment 362 to be subsegment lateral extent L₂, L₂ is no more thanabout 25% of L₁, i.e. L₁/L₂<0.25. In some embodiments L₁/L₂ may be nomore than about 0.15.

In some embodiments the steepness of lower inboard surface segment 300everywhere along at least a portion of its lateral range or extent (e.g.from C to D) is greater than the steepness of the upper inboard surfacesegment 330 anywhere along its lateral range or extent (from E to F).The same may be true for other portions of its lateral range, includingsubsets of portion CD.

The contours of inboard surface segments 300, 330 each have a verticalrange taken between an elevation extremum of the surface at or near base312 and the closed state elevations of intermediate segments 304, 334.For example, the vertical range of the descending contour of the upperinboard surface segment is distance P, and the vertical range of theascending contour of the lower inboard surface segment is distance Q.These are referred to as the upper segment vertical range and the lowersegment vertical range to distinguish them from each other. In someembodiments, such as the embodiment of FIG. 16 , the lower segmentvertical range Q exceeds the upper segment vertical range P.

The inboard surface segment 330 of the upper surface, the outboardsurface segment 332 of the upper surface, the inboard surface segment300 of the lower surface and the outboard surface segment 302 of thelower surface each have a radius of curvature, illustrated as r₁, r₂,r₃, r₄. The lengths of the radii vectors in the drawing are illustrativerather than an accurate portrayal of the radii of curvature of thesurface segments as depicted in the drawing. The radii of curvature ofinboard surface segments 300, 330 apply only to the long concaveportions of those surface segments, not to the small portions outboardof inflection points 364, 366 that converge convexly toward intermediatesegments 304, 334. All four radii of curvature may be constant, all fourmay be variable, or some may be constant and others variable.

In practice a user installs a sling strap 22 into interior region 350 byguiding the strap inwardly into the outboard funnel 354 defined betweenupper and lower outboard surface segments 332, 302. The caregiver pullsthe strap in the inboard direction. Outboard funnel 354 pilots the straptoward intermediate segments 304, 334. As the caregiver continuespulling on the strap, it bears against lower and upper jaws 292, 320 inthe vicinity of the intermediate segments (and/or against theintermediate segments themselves) and forces variable orientation upperjaw 320 to rotate in rotational sense R₂ so that the strap slidesvertically between and inwardly past the intermediate segments 304, 334and into interior region 350. Spring 346 forces upper jaw 320 back intocontact with (or into its minimum separation with) lower jaw 292. Theattachment member and upper jaw 320 may each be thought of as being intheir open states when strap 22 causes upper jaw 320 to be rotated indirection R₂.

Because of the geometry of the lower inboard surface segment 300 (itssteepness, vertical range, radius of curvature (whether constant orvariable) or combinations of these features), when patient weight isapplied to the strap, the strap tends to move laterally away from theintermediate segments and toward base 312, thereby minimizing thelikelihood that the strap will unintentionally slip out of the interiorand into the environment. The strap naturally seats itself in pocket 360due to the geometry of the pocket.

A user removes a sling strap 22 from interior region 350 by guiding thestrap into the inboard funnel 351 defined between upper and lowerinboard surface segments 330, 300. Inboard funnel 351 pilots the straptoward intermediate segments 304, 334. The contours of interior surfaces294, 322 are adapted so that an object, which is urged laterallyoutwardly, can separate the contact segments from each other and passoutwardly between the contact segments. Therefore as the caregivercontinues pulling on the strap, it bears against the upper and lowerjaws 292, 320 in the vicinity of the intermediate segments (and/oragainst the intermediate segments themselves) and forces variableorientation upper jaw 320 to rotate in rotational sense R₂ so that thestrap slides vertically between and outwardly past the intermediatesegments 304, 334 and into environment 352. Spring 346 forces upper jaw320 back into contact with (or into its minimum separation with) lowerjaw 292.

Automatic, Weight Actuated Style

Referring to FIGS. 18-21 , attachment member 400 includes a frame 402having a base 404 that extends vertically from a top end 408 to a bottomend 412, and an elbow 414 laterally spaced from the base 404 and havinga bottom end 416 and a terminus 418. The frame 402 also includes abottom segment 420 joining the bottom end 416 of the base 404 to thebottom end of the elbow 414. Alternatively, the bottom segment andelbow, taken together, may be thought of as a hook, similar to hook 72of FIG. 4 , which is comprised of bottom segment 76 and elbow 78. Thecurvature of elbow 414 is such that elbow terminus 418 faces laterallyback toward base 404 rather than in some other direction. Elbow terminus418 is laterally outboard of base 404. The top end of the base and theelbow terminus define an opening 426 (FIG. 18 ). Frame 402 (base 404,bottom segment 420, and elbow 414) and opening 426 define an interiorregion 428 of the attachment member. The region outside the interiorregion may be referred to as the surroundings 430 of interior region428. The frame is stationary relative to slingbar arm 26. The attachmentmember also includes a closure element 440, also referred to as a gate440.

A laterally extending tab 52 connects the attachment member 400 to theslingbar arm 26. However, other arrangements for connecting theattachment member to the slingbar may be satisfactory or the attachmentmember 400 may be formed integrally with the slingbar arm 26.

The slingbar also includes an actuating mechanism. The actuatingmechanism includes a cam 442 residing at the lateral center of theslingbar. The cam includes a cam hub 444 and a pair of arms 446extending from the cam hub in laterally opposite directions. Each camarm includes a cam guide slot 448 (readily visible only in FIG. 19 )inclined so that its outboard end is at a higher elevation than itsinboard end. The slingbar halves on opposite sides oftransverse/vertical center plane CP_(TV) (FIG. 20 ) are mirror images ofeach other and therefore it is sufficient to describe only thecomponents on one side of that plane.

The actuating mechanism also includes a linkage 452 arranged to bedriven by the cam and to operate the gate in response to motion of thecam thereby causing the gate to block or expose opening 426. Linkage 452includes a bellcrank 454 having a hinge 456 pivotally mounted toslingbar arm 26, a follower arm 458 extending from the hinge to a drivenend 462 of the follower arm, and an output arm 464 extending from thehinge to a driving end 466 of the output arm. Driven end 462 slidablyengages cam guide slot 448 for example by way of pin 470.

Driving end 466 of output arm 464 is connected to gate 440. Theconnection between the output arm and the gate may be a directconnection in which driving end 466 is directly connected to the gate.However, in the illustrated embodiment linkage 452 includes a connectorlink 472, whose opposite ends 476, 478 are connected respectively todriving end 466 of bellcrank output arm 464 and to a gate hinge 482thereby establishing an indirect connection between bellcrank output arm464 and gate 440.

The slingbar also includes a cam driver 490 adapted to drive cam 442.The cam driver includes a shank 492, which extends through a bore 494 incam 442, and a head 496. The head has a diameter larger than that ofbore 494 and is in contact with the bottom of cam 442. The end of theshank opposite head 496 includes an attachment lug 510 with an eyelet512. The lug may be used to connect the slingbar to a hoist such as acoupler 28 (FIGS. 2, 3 ) associated with a hoist so that the slingbarcan be hoisted vertically.

The cam driver and the cam are vertically translatable relative toslingbar arms 26. The cam driver and cam are biased verticallydownwardly by a biasing element such as spring 514 so that the defaultor open state of the attachment member is one in which gate 440 isretracted thereby exposing opening 426 (FIG. 18 ). The associatedposition of the cam driver is referred to as its fully open position.When the cam driver is in its fully open position, pin 470 is spacedfrom the lower end of cam guide slot 448 by a clearance C₁.

Referring to FIG. 19 the application of patient weight to attachmentmember frame 402, and the attendant upwardly directed reaction force atattachment lug 510, causes cam driver 490, and therefore cam 442, totranslate upwardly relative to the slingbar arms 26 to its fully closedposition. This may instead be thought of as the weight causing theslingbar arms to translate downwardly relative to the cam driver andcam. The closed position of the cam driver corresponds to a closed stateof the attachment member in which gate 440 is extended and closes orblocks opening 426. When the cam driver is in its fully closed position,pin 470 is spaced from the upper end of cam guide slot 448 by aclearance C₂ that may be the same as clearance C₁.

With the attachment member in its open state of FIG. 18 and opening 426exposed, a caregiver or other user guides a slingbar strap into interiorregion 428 by way of opening 426. When an upwardly directed hoistingforce is applied at lug 510 the patient's weight is transferred from hisbed or chair to the slingbar (principally to bottom segment 420 of frame402) and therefore to cam driver 490 and cam 442. The force exerted onthe cam and cam driver overcomes the spring force of spring 514 causingthe cam and cam driver to translate upwardly relative to the slingbararms 26 (or, equivalently, the slingbar arms can be thought of astranslating downwardly relative to the cam driver and cam).

Pin 470 is confined to cam guide slot 448 and is at a fixed distance orradius from hinge 456. Therefore as the cam translates upwardly, pin 470slides along cam guide slot 448, causing bellcrank 454 to rotate athinge 456 (clockwise as seen in FIGS. 18-19 ). Bellcrank output arm 464urges gate 440 in a laterally outboard direction thereby extending thegate across opening 426 and closing the opening as seen in FIG. 19 . Inthe illustrated embodiment, the output arm acts on the gate by way ofconnector link 472. Irrespective of whether connector link 472 ispresent or not, vertical translation of cam 442 is converted tohorizontal translation of gate 440.

In practice the spring force of spring 514 is such that when the deviceis used as specified the linkage will attain the limits of FIGS. 18(open limit) and 19 (closed limit) rather than come to a stop at somestate intermediate those depicted in FIGS. 18 and 19 . In particular,the spring is strong enough that even with no weight applied, thelinkage will arrive at the limit of FIG. 18 . The spring is weak enoughthat the weight of even a lightweight patient will cause the linkage toarrive at the limit of FIG. 19 . Stated differently, the strength of thespring is such that the cam driver bottoms out as seen in FIG. 18 whenno patient weight is applied, and tops out as seen in FIG. 19 when apre-specified threshold patient weight is applied.

Operation of gate 440 of the weight actuated attachment member ispassive in the sense that the caregiver is not required to manipulatethe closure member itself or any other element of the device. When nopatient weight is applied, the closure member is naturally open. No userintervention related to the closure member is required. The closureelement closes in response to the application patient weight. Again, nouser intervention related to the closure member is required. The user'srole is limited to positioning the sling under the patient, slipping thesling straps into interior region 428 of the attachment member, andoperating the hoist to lift the patient.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made to the embodiments describedherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimedsubject matter. Thus it is intended that the specification cover themodifications and variations of the various embodiments described hereinprovided such modification and variations come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1.-35. (canceled)
 36. A slingbar, comprising: a sling attachment membercomprising: a frame comprising a base having a top end and a bottom end,and a hook extending from the bottom end to a hook terminus, the hookterminus and the top end of the base defining an opening, and the hook,the base, and the opening bounding an interior of the sling attachmentmember, and a closure element comprising an outboard gate hinged to thehook terminus and an inboard gate hinged to the base, the outboard gateand the inboard gate each having a default state in which each gateextends laterally only part way across the opening.
 37. The slingbar ofclaim 36, wherein one of the inboard gate and the outboard gate is aninwardly rotatable gate and the other of the inboard gate and theoutboard gate is an outwardly rotatable gate.
 38. The slingbar of claim37, comprising an outboard spring which biases the outboard gate towardthe default state and an inboard spring which biases the inboard gatetoward the default state.
 39. The slingbar of claim 37, comprising anoutboard spring which resists but does not prevent rotatability of theoutboard gate in a first rotational sense, and an inboard spring whichresists but does not prevent rotatability of the inboard gate in asecond rotational sense which is opposite the first rotational sense.40. The slingbar of claim 37, wherein the inboard gate and the outboardgate contact each other in the default state.
 41. The slingbar of claim36, wherein the inboard gate and the outboard gate each comprise a freeend that is complementary to the free end of the other of the inboardgate and the outboard gate.
 42. The slingbar of claim 41, wherein thefree end of the outboard gate and the free end of the inboard gate arechamfered.
 43. The slingbar of claim 36, wherein: each of the inboardgate and the outboard gate has an open state and a closed state; andonly one of the inboard gate or the outboard gate is required to be inthe open state to accommodate passage of an object through the opening.44. A sling attachment member for a slingbar, the sling attachmentmember comprising: a frame comprising a base having a top end and abottom end, and a hook extending from the bottom end to a hook terminus,the hook terminus and the top end of the base defining an opening, andthe hook, the base, and the opening bounding an interior of the slingattachment member; and a closure element comprising an outboard gatehinged to the hook terminus and an inboard gate hinged to the base, theoutboard gate and the inboard gate each having a default state in whicheach gate extends laterally only part way across the opening.
 45. Thesling attachment member of claim 44, wherein one of the inboard gate andthe outboard gate is an inwardly rotatable gate and the other of theinboard gate and the outboard gate is an outwardly rotatable gate. 46.The sling attachment member of claim 45, comprising an outboard springwhich biases the outboard gate toward the default state and an inboardspring which biases the inboard gate toward the default state.
 47. Thesling attachment member of claim 45, comprising an outboard spring whichresists but does not prevent rotatability of the outboard gate in afirst rotational sense, and an inboard spring which resists but does notprevent rotatability of the inboard gate in a second rotational sensewhich is opposite the first rotational sense.
 48. The sling attachmentmember of claim 45, wherein the inboard gate and the outboard gatecontact each other in the default state.
 49. The sling attachment memberof claim 44, wherein the inboard gate and the outboard gate eachcomprise a free end that is complementary to the free end of the otherof the inboard gate and the outboard gate.
 50. The sling attachmentmember of claim 49, wherein the free end of the outboard gate and thefree end of the inboard gate are chamfered.
 51. The sling attachmentmember of claim 44, wherein: each of the inboard gate and the outboardgate has an open state and a closed state; and only one of the inboardgate or the outboard gate is required to be in the open state toaccommodate passage of an object through the opening.
 52. A lift system,comprising: a hoist comprising a carriage from which an extendable andretractable tether extends; and a slingbar coupled to the tether, theslingbar comprising: a sling attachment member comprising: a framecomprising a base having a top end and a bottom end, and a hookextending from the bottom end to a hook terminus, the hook terminus andthe top end of the base defining an opening, and the hook, the base, andthe opening bounding an interior of the sling attachment member, and aclosure element comprising an outboard gate hinged to the hook terminusand an inboard gate hinged to the base, the outboard gate and theinboard gate each having a default state in which each gate extendslaterally only part way across the opening.
 53. The lift system of claim52, wherein the hoist is supported from the ceiling of a facility by aceiling mounted rail system.
 54. The lift system of claim 52, whereinthe carriage houses a motor driven reel to extend or retract the tether.55. The lift system of claim 52, wherein the hoist is a freestandingframe unit.